by Karen Renee
“‘Infraction?’”
“Yeah. Know there isn’t anything wrong with your hearing, so get to it.”
I rolled to my side, propped my head up on my hand, “So, you’re telling me where I can go, what I can drive, and now how I can speak? Is that the sum of it, master?”
“Yep,” he said with a return pop of the ‘p’.
I looked at the wall, “You got contact info for that guy Razor? Maybe I should hang with the Leathernecks, after all.”
Instantly, Vamp pounced on me and I was pressed deep into the mattress. If I hadn’t lived with him for over a year back when I was twenty-one, this might have frightened the piss out of me. I knew I had stepped well over a line, but his reaction didn’t frighten me.
“Those are fightin’ words, woman. And this time, I won’t let you walk away. I’ll fight and you already know I fight to win. Don’t say that shit again. Capisce?” he asked with his blue eyes searching mine.
“Capisce. It was a lousy joke, and has no place in bed with you. However, you do need to dial it back on the pushy-caveman-slash-boss-man business.”
Vamp’s hand slithered down my torso to the fly of my shorts, “‘Boss-man?’”
“Been living on my own for quite a while now. You can’t just roll in and tell me where I can go, what I drive, or how I can speak. That ain’t cool.”
“You think it’s cool to call me ‘bub?’”
“Didn’t know you’d deem it an ‘infraction,’ or that you would –”
I was shut up by Vamp’s lips on mine. He pulled away and said, “I’ll dial it back a little, but you don’t have to worry about a vehicle. You can drive my F-150.”
I closed my eyes and let out a breath. “I appreciate that, but no. Diana and Duane have a third car, it’s a sedan and not prone to rolling over. We just have to go and get it.”
Vamp kissed his way up my cheek bone and whispered in my ear, “Fine. We’ll do that after I get it from you.”
*** ***
“That’s the best damn news I’ve heard all month. No, really, thank you. And thank your associate too. We were all impressed with how quickly Frankie was cut loose,” Vamp said into his cell phone.
I woke up in my own bed, but it was an empty bed, so I moseyed out to my kitchen and saw Vamp at the kitchen counter with his back to me. He was wearing his boxer briefs and nothing else. His back was well muscled, but he didn’t have the huge Riot MC tattoo like other brothers did. Possibly this was because his back had a puckered scar a few inches away from his spine, and a larger scar at an angle from his right shoulder blade down to his kidney. I knew both scars were from fire-fight when he was with the Marines. However, I found out in the shower last night that the lowest portion of his back onto the upper edge of his left ass cheek he had the Riot MC patch tatted there.
Vamp tapped the end call icon on his phone and turned around, “So, what’s the best news you just heard?” I asked.
With a smile, he said, “Club lawyer just called me. I’m clear to go out of town, or wherever my heart desires, because last night Stillman was arrested for aggravated assault on his sister-in-law.”
My lips curled into a humongous smile. “Well, thank God! Now, I just need to get over to Diana’s house, get her car and I can maybe salvage this crazy-ass weekend after all. I wonder if Tasha’s got an extra ticket for the jazz brunch today.”
Vamp stepped into my space and his finger tipped my chin up toward him, “No jazz brunch,” he ordered.
With huge eyes, I said, “What did we talk about yesterday afternoon?”
He kissed my lips sweetly. “Stillman may be off the streets, but Starla’s still out there.”
“No she isn’t, the Leathernecks took her from y’all’s clubhouse.”
Vamp shook his head at me. “Doesn’t mean she and her half-brother can’t have other shit in the works. If you recall, Stillman had what should have been an iron-clad alibi. Cops were only able to arrest him because he fucked up by leaving a paper trail when he paid one of Leventon’s goons.”
“Who’s Leventon? I know Trixie mentioned that name, but –”
Vamp put a finger on my lips to shut me up. “Starla’s father and a local loan shark. He has some guys who do dirty work for him, and Starla must have hooked up Stillman with them. I’m not sure on all the finer points of this, and until we know it’s resolved once and for all, you’re laying low.”
My head tilted back and I shouted at the ceiling, “I don’t want to lay low anymore!”
I felt Vamp’s lips at my neck, and he murmured there, “You’ll like my way of laying low, baby.”
Vamp pulled away from my neck and I blurted, “I’m not having a two-day sex-a-thon with you. Lost time to make up for or not, that shit ain’t happenin’! I’ll go stir-crazy.”
Vamp leaned a hip on the counter, “Wasn’t talking ‘bout a weekend-long fuck-fest, though that sounds like a perfectly good idea to me. Volt’s havin’ a barbeque tonight at his place. No club hang-abouts or sweet-butts will be there. Plus, Pop and Marnie are headed up here this morning. They’ll probably be at the barbeque, too.”
“They were able to get a hotel room on such short notice?” I asked.
Vamp chuckled, “No, babe. They’re staying at my apartment in Oakleaf.”
“You have an apartment? Why? I thought you lived at the compound.”
I watched with rapt attention as Vamp crossed his thick bulky arms across his chest, “Hard to live in a place that doesn’t always have food on hand. I’m undoubtedly pissing my money away, but if this keeps keepin’ on the way it is, I’ll let my lease go at the end of July.”
“That’s just two months from now,” I said.
“Yeah, but what’s different about us right now? To my mind, not a damn thing. I might not have mentioned it since we left Pop’s house, but I still want you to be my old lady and my wife. I don’t need a fuckuva lot of time to figure that shit out. Do you?”
I tried to think about it, but there wasn’t much to think about. I couldn’t imagine being with anyone but Cary. Not ten minutes ago, I had woken up without him and I hadn't liked that one iota. That told me that I would loathe going to bed without him.
I gave him a shy smile. “So, I guess this means we’re living together again?”
Vamp’s arms shot out and pulled me into an embrace, “Damn straight,” he rumbled before he planted a luscious, wet kiss on me.
CHAPTER 26
I was wearing my favorite bikini and lounging poolside at Henry and Jackie’s house. The barbeque wouldn’t start in earnest for another hour or so, and I was enjoying my solitude while Vamp was inside helping Henry. A singsong voice trilled low in my ear, “Somebody’s gettin’ their cut!”
Lifting my shades from my face, I looked to the teak lounger on my right side to see Abby’s beaming face. “How do you know?” I asked.
My question killed the smile on her face as she looked at me as though I were dense. “My man and I just got here, and he brought in a brown paper bag folded the same way all bags containing a Riot MC cut are folded. He didn’t tell me what it was, but my momma didn’t raise a dummy.”
Mallory’s petite legs flashed by my peripheral vision, as she sat down on the lounger on the left side of mine.
“I bet it’s Jim the prospect. He really kicked ass at the Waffle House.”
Abby sat up and slid her legs over the side of the chaise so she was facing Mallory and me. She shook her head, “No way. Prospects all get their cuts at the clubhouse. I bet it’s you, Mal. It would be just like Cal to have Blood pick up the cut, we bring it here, and you’re none the wiser. It’s been three months now for you two, basically. I say it’s you.”
With a scoff, Mallory said, “No way. Three months is way too soon for him to make me his old lady.”
I saw Roll come out to the pool deck carrying a plate of thick, red steaks. I said, “Well, I just hope it’s Trixie. That would make her day, and probably her decade too.”
Abby sighed. “Trixie isn’t here, so it can’t be her.”
I pinned Abby with a stare. “Wasn’t she invited?”
Abby’s mouth pursed to the side. “Roll didn’t invite her. I don’t know what his deal is with her lately.”
Well, that sucked. What sucked even more was that I couldn’t go give Roll a piece of my mind. It would be a blatant form of disrespect to the brotherhood for me to butt into Roll’s business. Roll layin’ down the law with me at lunch a couple weeks ago came back to me. He could stick his nose into my business under the guise of it being for my own good, but I couldn’t do the same with him. That was a double standard if ever there was one!
“What are you thinkin’?” Abby asked.
“Between me, you, Mallory and the tiki torch over there, I’m thinkin’ about how much trouble I would court if I did to Roll exactly what he did to me a couple weeks ago.”
Abby and Mallory spoke at the same time. Abby said, “Oh no. You don’t wanna go there.” Mallory asked, “What did he do to you?”
“He gave her unsolicited love advice,” Jackie said sitting on the lounger with Abby.
Raising my eyebrows, I said, “Not just unsolicited, but unwanted love advice. I’m jonesing to return the favor.”
“No, no, no,” Jackie said, in a very dramatic tone. “Henry might’ve let you get your shot in at Starla, but he would lose his damn mind if you did the same thing to Roll. I know it’s a one-way street, but in his eyes, what he and Roll did to you that day at lunch was an effort to help out a miserable brother. Anything we would do would always be seen as meddling, conniving. and any other petty form of bitchiness bikers can dream up.”
“You’re right, you’re right. And you’re an excellent old lady for an MC president, in case you didn’t know.”
Jackie’s cheeks flushed a little as she gave me a gorgeous smile, then my cell phone rang and it clattered on the chaise since it was vibrating as well.
“Christ, what kind of phone is that? I want one with that vibrate setting,” Abby said from next to me.
“Hello?” I said with a giggle.
“Frankie? This a bad time?” Roxanne asked.
Sitting up higher in the chaise, I said, “Nope, it’s fine. What’s going on?”
“Heath and I were out last night for dinner. I ran into my buddy from Tri-County Credit Union, and I mentioned what was happening with you. He’s heard about you from other brokers. He’s very interested in speaking with you, and he’s got some time Monday. Even though it’s a holiday, he’d like to meet with you informally, since he’ll be jammed the rest of the week closing the month.”
“You really think it’s that bad?”
Roxanne sighed, “Honestly, I don’t think it’s that good, so it wouldn’t hurt for you to think ahead.”
“All right. I’ll meet with him. He’s not going to his office, is he?”
“No, no. He’s a member at the Orange Park Country Club, so he’d be happy to meet you there. Let me text you his number and the two of you can set something up.”
A shadow passed over me as I pulled the phone away from my ear. Vamp stood in front of me wearing his red, white and blue beer-pong board shorts with no shirt and no shoes. The waist was blue with white ping-pong balls, and the legs were red plastic cups (as used in beer pong) with white cloths over the cups so as to create a red-and-white stripe effect. Mallory, Abby and Jackie stood up from the loungers next to me.
Before they left, Vamp said, “You’re more than welcome to stick around, ladies.”
Jackie smiled, “Thanks, but I need to see what my old man is up to.”
Abby followed closely behind her, but added over her shoulder, “Yeah. What she said.”
“Who were you talkin’ to on your phone?” he asked me, as he stretched his body out on the lounger Abby and Jackie had vacated.
I rolled onto my side to face him more fully. “That was Roxanne. When I met her for drinks on Friday, she mentioned that if things went in the toilet with HR about my job, then a former colleague of hers with another credit union might be interested in me. Apparently, she and Heath ran into this guy last night at dinner. She told him about my situation, and he wants to meet with me tomorrow sometime.”
Vamp folded his hands behind his head, causing his pectoral muscles to be more prominent. His sterling silver “Sexy” nipple ring was still in place. I shifted my gaze up to Vamp’s face. He was grinning a shit-eating grin at me.
“You don’t sound very happy about this prospect.”
With a deep breath, I said, “I just hate that this Stillman bastard is going to take my job from me, after all. It’s not right.”
Vamp’s legs suddenly slipped to either side of the chaise and he pushed himself further up the chair. He spread his arms out. “Come here.”
I looked at him askance, “I’m right here, man.”
“Woman, do not make me tell you again, come here,” he said patting the spot in between his legs.
I stood up, faced him and started to put a leg to the other side of his chaise, but Vamp stopped me with his hands on my hips.
“Plant your ass right here, baby.”
Vamp pulled me down so my back was to his chest, and then he wrapped his arms around my midriff.
He put his mouth to my ear and asked in a low voice, “I do not know why you chose a swimsuit this color since it makes me think of Pepto Bismol, but the top is just like that pin-up dress you have. Did I tell you how much I love this bikini?”
“I think you showed me back at my place, which was why we were late.”
Vamp’s breath against my ear was warm. “I’ve digressed big time. So, this job better than the one you’ve got?”
“Roxanne thinks there’s more room for advancement there.”
“More cake?”
I shrugged, “Won’t know until I meet with him tomorrow.”
I could feel Vamp nodding behind me, “Ok, is it on the west side of town?”
I shook my head, “It’s on the Southside, so my commute would be shorter most of the time.”
Vamp’s arms squeezed me, “None of this sounds bad, unless there’s substantially less money. Not that it matters for us, since I’ve got enough for both of us, but if you’re gonna spend your time doin’ somethin’, you might as well get paid well for doin’ it.”
I tilted my head back to get a good look at him, “What do you mean you have enough for both of us? You admitted to pissing money away on an apartment.”
Vamp pecked my lips. “I don’t spend a lot on stuff, babe. Seriously, you want to take a year off, we’d be fine.”
Shaking my head, I said, “Ok, whatever. I’m gonna leave that alone. I just really like the people I work with and I don’t like change that much.”
Vamp kissed a path along my cheek to my ear. “You like driving the Buckman bridge that much, eh?”
A giggle escaped from me. “No, but it doesn’t hurt that your compound isn’t that far away. I mean, lunch with Henry and Roll was great. Well, if you don’t count their dissection of my love life at the time.”
“There is that, and if it were any help to you, we could stay in my apartment during the week, thought that seems asinine. A shorter commute time for you means more morning sex for us,” he whispered in my ear.
My body was shaking with laughter. “Or it could mean more sleep for me.”
My body was suddenly rotated and Vamp lounged back. He positioned me so my stomach was on his. His vibrant blue eyes were glittering at me. “Don’t think that will get you out of morning sex with me.”
Sliding my hands onto either side of his smooth head, I said, “Always, but always, with the sex on the mind! Don’t go putting words in my mouth, Cary. I didn’t say anything about no A.M. nookie. I’m just a girl who likes her sleep.”
“Cary Grant Sullivan! You and the gorgeous Lorraine Ingram need to get over here and greet your Pop!”
I turned my head to see Warren and Marnie standing just outsi
de the sliding glass doors to the house. Vamp knifed up from the lounger with me on him, which meant I found feet suddenly planted on the hot concrete. We hurried their way, not just because it was exciting to see them but also because they were standing in the shade. Vamp let go of me to give his father a bear hug, and I gave Marnie a light hug and air-kiss on the cheek; then Warren took me in a tight bear hug and I heard Marnie squeak when Vamp gave her a similar bear hug.
The next twenty minutes or better were spent introducing Marnie and Warren to all of Vamp’s brothers and old ladies. I remembered all too well how meeting all the brothers made my mind whirl. I nudged Marnie’s shoulder with mine. “You need a glass of wine? Meeting all these guys can scramble your brain, right?”
Marnie giggled at me and with a hand on my bicep she said, “You’re right about that, dear. A glass of wine sounds fantastic right about now.”
With real wine glasses in hand, Marnie and I returned to the pool area to find Warren smiling at Mallory.
“Where is that man of yours, dear?” he asked her.
Mallory looked around for a moment, looked back at us and said, “I don’t know. I thought he’d have been here before me since I had been at the jazz festival until two-thirty.”
“Well, speak of the devil,” Marnie chirped, as Cal opened the sliding glass door.
“Asking about me, huh? I was handling business your real son should have been handling, which is getting these two oafs here.”
Vamp’s younger brothers Brock and Gabe followed Cal out to the pool deck.
They both opened their arms for hugs from me, and as I hugged Brock, I said, “Well, this is a surprise!”
Then I turned to Gabe and gave him a hug asking, “What brings—”
My question was cut off by Volt bellowing from the nearby outdoor kitchen, “I think everyone is here, now. Normally, I would just yield the floor to the brother who’s takin’ an old lady, but I gotta say my piece first. When any of us takes an old lady, it’s a big fucking deal. It’s a big deal not just because of the ramifications for the brother involved, but also because that old lady becomes one of us. She may not sit at the table when the gavel swings, but she’s a sister to the brotherhood all the same. And the woman becoming an old lady today is a lady I’m thrilled to call one of my sisters. Now, brother, take it away.”